


Roy Harper Birthday Week

by starsandbrokenhalos



Series: Love, Death, & The Afterlife: A Tale of JayRoy, Their Friends & Justice League Dark [1]
Category: DCU, DCU (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Teen Titans (Comics), Teen Titans - All Media Types, Titans (Comics)
Genre: Birthday, Birthday Party, Domestic Boyfriends, Established Relationship, Falling In Love, Family Dynamics, Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Forgiveness, Gen, Halloween, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Love Confessions, M/M, Memories, Regret, Team Bonding, Team as Family, royharperbdayweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-07 07:41:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16404167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsandbrokenhalos/pseuds/starsandbrokenhalos
Summary: -Summary: Roy sorts through his feelings about Jason and their relationship.-Quote Preview:That is when he realized how much the two of them had grown together. At some point between the first kiss and tonight, they had evolved from a heavily physical, playful relationship to a quasi-domestic dream team complete with a chores calendar and scented candles in the kitchen. The part that was throwing Roy for a loop was that he actually enjoyed, not to mention preferred, their new dynamic considering they had only been together for…





	1. Sucker Punched

**Author's Note:**

> Day One (October 25th): Favorite pairing (Romantic or platonic)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> -Summary: Roy sorts through his feelings about Jason and their relationship.
> 
> -Quote Preview:  
> That is when he realized how much the two of them had grown together. At some point between the first kiss and tonight, they had evolved from a heavily physical, playful relationship to a quasi-domestic dream team complete with a chores calendar and scented candles in the kitchen. The part that was throwing Roy for a loop was that he actually enjoyed, not to mention preferred, their new dynamic considering they had only been together for…

Roy had gotten back from a week-long mission in Bialya with his fellow Titans to see a painted banner that said, “Welcome home Daddy!” displayed on the wall above the couch where Lian slept. She was curled up under a purple blanket with the teddy bear he had given to her for her third birthday. There was a homemade card and several masterpiece drawings laid out perfectly on the coffee table. Jason had been sitting in the armchair, reading _Pride & Prejudice_ yet again. It was a heartwarming sight that had stirred up something deep inside him. Roy could only think to refer to it as an overwhelming affection. Though, that did not accurately describe it. Whatever it was had only grown as he and Jason tucked Lian in to her bed. 

Here he was, hours later, wide awake in bed as Jason slept soundly beside him and the feeling still had not subsided. Jason was laying on his stomach with his arms underneath the pillow and his face looking toward Roy. Moonlight snuck in from the blinds and danced across the skin of his back, softening the appearance of several large scars. Roy knew better than to ask but always wondered about the stories behind them. Jaybird would tell him when he was ready but, in the meantime, he could not help but speculate. Jason stirred a bit as Roy’s eyes began to trace the lines of the rest of his body, taking in the beauty. Though it was the vulnerability and peacefulness that he so rarely saw Jason experience that caused it to feel like Roy had been sucker punched by his emotions. 

That is when he realized how much the two of them had grown together. At some point between the first kiss and tonight, they had evolved from a heavily physical, playful relationship to a quasi-domestic dream team complete with a chores calendar and scented candles in the kitchen. The part that was throwing Roy for a loop was that he actually enjoyed, not to mention preferred, their new dynamic considering they had only been together for…

 _“Seven months!? When the fuck did that happen?”_ Roy thought. A knot formed in his stomach as his heart began to race. He needed to clear his mind, so he slowly dragged himself out of bed making sure not to disturb Jason. Roy slipped out of their room to raid the fridge. _“What I wouldn’t give for a beer.”_ He shook his head in order to boot the intrusive statement out of there. 

The harsh, lighting from the ceiling fixture in the kitchen hurt his eyes as he flipped on the switch. He wasn’t sure which was louder; the buzzing coming from the lights or the refrigerator. He opened the fridge and grabbed a soda off the door. The sound of him opening the can echoed off the walls. He took a large gulp as he sat at the table they had miraculously crammed into the corner of the room. Roy finished the rest of the drink quickly and placed the can in front of him. The sugar from the soda would probably keep him up but he didn’t care. Besides, he needed to mull over a few things before he settled in (again) for the night. Heavens knew how long that would take.

Excluding his current one, Roy had only been in three relationships that had any emotional weight to them. All of which had been a rollercoaster from start to finish for one reason or another. At least he learned a lot about himself, been blessed with a daughter, and had somehow managed to maintain a close friendship with Donna. Though, he really had no clue how the latter had happened especially when he considered that one bullshit secret she was keeping for him. Nonetheless, sometime between all the mayhem, high emotions, and drama, he’d grown skeptical of dating and had begun to prefer meaningless flirting and flings. Though as Lian got older his behavior shifted towards an active avoidance of such activities and dating in general.

Despite his best efforts, he had somehow begun romantically intertwining his life with Jason Peter Todd; the brother of a longtime friend, the outlaw, the Red freaking Hood. It had been like Kendra all over again with everyone trying to dissuade him from pursuing anything beyond a friendship. Sure, Jason had more than enough issues for at least three people and some concerning tactics. He’d give them that much. Hell, even Roy initially had his doubts, but there had been something beyond the realm of attraction that kept pulling them together. 

Roy sighed. The panic he was feeling now stemmed from his fear of losing Jason. He did not want to deal with the haughty looks of those who had advised him against all this. Nor did Roy care to hear any variations of them telling him how they had been correct. He knew Jason would make himself scarce if anything bad happened between them and did not want to watch Lian lose someone she had become emotionally invested in. The memory of Lian’s face when he had told her about the breakup with Donna flashed through his mind. That had shaken Roy up. The worst part was, Roy knew a break up with Jason would tear him up inside more than all the other relationships ending had. That was a whole other can of worms considering he had once planned to propose to Donna but had not even told Jason the true depth of his feelings…yet. Perhaps the amped up feelings of affection, or whatever they were, from today were signs to just go for it. He tossed the can in the recycling. _“Why not?”_

It felt like electricity was running through his veins as he made his way back to the bedroom. Roy slid back into bed and turned on his side. A sense of awe filled him as he admired Jason again. Whenever Roy looked at Jason he saw a man who had been to Hell and back on several occasions, done horrible things, and was more than a bit of an asshole. Though, Roy had learned quickly that last bit was mostly an act. But he also saw the parts that people did not bother to even try and notice. Jason was brilliant, fiercely protective of his loved ones, quite funny, a phenomenal listener, passionate, determined, supportive, and secretly a giant nerd. He was also surprisingly great with children. Not only did Lian think the world of him but, her friends adored him too. Roy saw all of this and much more inside the man beside him; his best friend, his partner, his Jaybird. 

“Can’t keep your eyes off me, can you Harper?” Jason teased, his voice was thick with sleep and he could barely keep his eyes open. Roy swore he had some sort of sixth sense, even when he was sleeping. Jason always gave one of his sly smirks that managed to be cocky and mischievous all at once as a response when Roy mentioned the idea of such a thing to him. To Roy, that was confirmation enough that he was on to something. 

“What can I say? You’ve been on my mind,” Roy answered, wrapping his arms around Jason.

Jason yawned as he propped himself up a bit. “Do tell,” he responded, eyeing Roy’s neck and lips longingly.

He swallowed. _“It’s now or never.”_ Roy’s fingers were drawing patterns on Jason’s back. His heart skipped a beat as he said, “Jaybird, I love you.”

Jason was suddenly fully wide awake, clearly surprised by what he had heard. He was also likely in a state of shock because someone found him worthy of love. Roy could see the array of emotions storming around inside Jason as he looked into those baby blues. After a few moments, Jason leaned in close, his face expression softening as he caressed Roy’s cheek. “I love you too Roy.” Their lips met. The kiss was sweet at first but soon the simple act proved to be a catalyst to them spending the entire night in each other’s embrace in some capacity.


	2. Titans...Volley!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Wally ran over to where they were booting up the video game and stole their controllers eliciting obviously annoyed responses. “Donna and I think we’re overdue for some classic Titans Festivities,” he said loud enough so the whole team heard. 
> 
> Donna approached Wally, standing to his right. “Which is why, we are proposing a game of Superpower Volleyball.” Everyone was for it.
> 
> Last time they had played, Roy ended up having to spike the ball into the water because Dick had thrown one of his exploding disks at it. Garth had then drenched him for polluting the water. As a result, there was an embarrassing picture of Roy with seaweed in his hair somewhere that he wanted revenge for. Roy felt a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “It’s on,” he said, intending not to replicate the last match."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day Two (Oct 26th): Favorite Team

Rose Wilson, Lian’s nanny, had been running late due to traffic. Roy saw it as a happy opportunity to take his daughter to school for the first time this academic year. His little squeaker insisted on showing him the classroom and he simply could not refuse. She was showing Roy her favorite book when the teacher walked in. Lian introduced them to each other. Miss Holt, the teacher, went on to say how much of a pleasure Lian was in class. Somehow the discussion shifted to recruiting him for the PTA. He tentatively agreed to check out one meeting before having to leave. On his way to his teammates, like Rose, he found himself stuck in traffic for well over an hour. So, when he walked in to the conference room of Titans Tower he was not surprised that he was greeted by Donna saying, “There he is!”

“Sorry I’m late. It was quite the morning,” Roy said as he took a seat at the table.

“I’d say,” Wally remarked as he spotted the hickeys on Roy’s neck. He had a big, goofy smile as he wiggled his eyebrows. 

_“Figures he would say something.”_ Roy looked the speedster dead in the eyes and responded with, “Those are actually from a rough night.” He winked. Snickering erupted from his teammates.

Wally gave a nod of approval. “You dog.” He proceeded to lose his mind when he saw Dick’s horrified face expression. Roy couldn’t help but chuckle as well. Though, he had to admit, he did see where his friend was coming from. It had to be awkward having a best friend date one’s brother. 

Dick cleared his throat, regaining his composure. Looking directly at Roy and Wally he said, “Alright team, time to focus. We have a lot to discuss.” He picked up a clicker and pressed the button. The screen behind him lit up to reveal a map of Bialya with several locations within the country marked. Dick went on to detail how he and Roy had secured a sample of the virus Queen Bee was having engineered to target metahumans. Lilith, Donna, and Karen had obtained files detailing their plans to release it through the air, starting in the United States. Their next steps were to figure out what the purpose of the virus was and how to counteract it in case everything was not destroyed when the base exploded. The other part of this was to monitor Bialya and if necessary, return. “Any questions?” Everyone shook their heads. “Alright, we all know what we have to do so take some time to recuperate today before diving into this next phase. Meeting adjourned.”

The Titans began to clear out of the room. Donna playfully elbowed Roy to get his attention and Wally put an arm around his shoulders. They were up to something. He just knew it. 

“Want to do something ridiculous?” The speedster asked. 

Roy looked at him out of the corner of his eye. “I don’t have a choice, do I?”

Donna and Wally exchanged glances. “No,” the amazon answered, a twinkle in her eye. 

Roy put a palm to his face and shook his head. “What’s the plan?”

“Oh…just some team bonding,” Wally said. His voice had a mischievous lilt to it. 

_“That can’t be a good sign.”_ They led him to the common area where Dick, Garth, and Lilith were starting up the gaming system. M’gann was getting ingredients out to bake as Beast Boy dug through the cupboards for a snack. Karen was reading a mystery novel in one hand and playing with Mal’s hair as he laid his head in her lap with the other. Lastly, Natasha was sitting at the table, video chatting with her girlfriend, Traci. It was such an ordinary sight to see at Titans Tower. Knowing full well that it wasn’t going to last, Roy braced himself, half expecting a disco ball and flashing lights to spontaneously appear. 

Wally ran over to where they were booting up the video game and stole their controllers eliciting obviously annoyed responses. “Donna and I think we’re overdue for some classic Titans Festivities,” he said loud enough so the whole team heard. 

Donna approached Wally, standing to his right. “Which is why, we are proposing a game of Superpower Volleyball.” Everyone was for it.

Last time they had played, Roy ended up having to spike the ball into the water because Dick had thrown one of his exploding disks at it. Garth had then drenched him for polluting the water. As a result, there was an embarrassing picture of Roy with seaweed in his hair somewhere that he wanted revenge for. Roy felt a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “It’s on,” he said, intending not to replicate the last match.

“That’s our Roy!” Wally crowed, accidentally throwing the controllers behind him.

“I call scorekeeper!” M’gann enthused.

***

M’gann had chosen the teams in an effort to make sure they were as evenly matched as possible. Roy was assigned to work with Donna, Karen, Lilith, and Beast Boy. Dick won the coin toss and began the mayhem. Roy watched as his teammate served the ball so hard and high into the sky that Donna was their only hope. The amazon flew into the air and spiked the ball downwards. Wally had run to hit it but instead ended up falling as the ball hit him in the stomach, sand flying everywhere. The tone was set.

“I got it!” Lilith said, teleporting to exactly where she needed to be. She hit the ball clear over the net. It was returned by Natasha and her hammer. Beast Boy countered by turning in to a sea lion and bouncing it off his nose over to Roy who hit it over the net. Mal sent it back over with ease. It almost hit the ground but Karen, shrunk and dove to keep her significant other from scoring. 

Similar antics continued on for well over an hour until Beast Boy decided it would be an excellent idea to shapeshift into an elephant and serve the ball out of his trunk. Not only did the ball go flying but snot went with it, streaking through the sky. “Take cover!” Dick shouted, somersaulting behind a rock. Garth was the only one of his teammates to stand his ground. He conjured up a whirlpool that he manipulated to smack the disgusting ball back to where it came from. 

_“Not again!”_ Roy ran off to hide next to Dick. The two of them cackled when Beast Boy, still in his elephant form, went bounding towards the water. He leaped, turning into a whale in the process causing a massive wall of water to completely soak every single one of them. 

Dick and Roy looked at each other. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Getting to the stash of squirt guns before everyone else?” Roy answered.

Dick nodded. “On three. One…two…I said on three!!” He started chasing after Roy. They narrowly dodged another dousing from Garth. The two of them made it to where they kept all their outdoor sporting goods. “Here.” He passed Roy one of the squirt guns. 

“Thanks Dick,” Roy said as he examined how much more wear and tear the old, faded toy could take. “Now here comes the hard part. Filling these damn things up.”

“Agreed. On three this time. And I do mean…” Dick didn’t even bother to call after him, as he was already off. The two of them managed to hide behind a cluster of rocks to fill up. Once their task was completed, Roy actually waited for Dick’s count. They charged out together and managed to take both Donna and M’gann by surprise. M’gann had become intangible so the water passed through her and hit Lilith square in the chest. The water wars only escalated from there until everyone was covered in sweat, sand, and some sort of aquatic plant. 

M’gann insisted on a group photo to post on their public relations page and oh boy, there was a lot going on in it. Wally was giving Dick and Roy bunny ears. Natasha was caught laughing at the three of them. Mal was stretched out across the bottom on his side, holding Karen in his palm. Beast Boy turned into a sea lion again and was balancing the volleyball on his noise. Garth somehow managed to have a fish spontaneously bite his finger. Lilith, Donna, and M’gann were making silly faces and/or throwing up peace signs. 

“The perfect family photo,” M’gann said as she posted it. 

Donna appeared by Roy’s side. “We should show her the original one.”

Roy kept the horror he felt about the statement to himself. _“That was one for the ages.”_ The original Teen Titans group photo consisted of him, Dick, Donna, Garth, Wally, and Lilith dressed up as each other for Halloween. The photo was as ridiculous as this one. “How about no?”

“Come on boytoy Roy,” Wally said, messing up his hair.

Roy could only shake his head as a response to his fellow ginger. _“Give me strength.”_ He had chosen these goofballs to be his teammates over ten years ago yet somehow, he had ended up with an extended family instead. The bonds they had created would last a lifetime in some form or another. Despite the tomfoolery being a little much sometimes, Roy knew he would not change a second of it.


	3. Bound in Ribbons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Lian made a story about her family to show off at her school's open house
> 
> Quote Preview: 
> 
> Now that they were here, Lian could barely contain herself. “Come on, come on!” She took both Roy and Jason by the hand to lead them down the hall. Rose kept pace with them as they wove through the other families. Lian burst into her classroom, pulling them to where she sat. Miss Holt was amused by the display as his little girl thrust the paper book bound in red ribbon in their faces. “Read it!”
> 
> “What a beautiful cover,” Roy said. Lian had scrawled out the words “My Family” in red crayon and drawn flowers all over it. Jason and Rose flanked him to peak over his shoulder. Lian was about to pull a Wally and vibrate through the floor with how much she was jumping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 3 (Oct 27): Family/Fatherhood

Lian had been excited for all of them to see the story she had written about her family at the school’s open house tonight. She had practically rushed them out the door. Roy had been tying his shoe when his daughter quite literally grabbed his hand and pulled him. His stumble caused Jason to snicker until Lian had shoved him as he was zipping his leather jacket. Somehow, he managed to pinch his finger in the zipper. Rose, suppressing her own laughter, took Lian by the hand and suggested they wait in the car. 

Now that they were here, Lian could barely contain herself. “Come on, come on!” She took both Roy and Jason by the hand to lead them down the hall. Rose kept pace with them as they wove through the other families. Lian burst into her classroom, pulling them to where she sat. Miss Holt was amused by the display as his little girl thrust the paper book bound in red ribbon in their faces. “Read it!”

“What a beautiful cover,” Roy said. Lian had scrawled out the words “My Family” in red crayon and drawn flowers all over it. Jason and Rose flanked him to peak over his shoulder. Lian was about to pull a Wally and vibrate through the floor with how much she was jumping. 

-Page One:  
There was a picture of Roy teaching Lian how to shoot an arrow. She had drawn his clothing and hair with the same vibrant color. Lian had even given him a bit of facial hair. He was thankful she had decided to forego the goatee he sported for a few minutes that she had said made him look like Ollie. She had encompassed the image of the two of them in a large heart. Outside the heart she had placed a lot of dots of various colors. He wondered if there was a meaning to the dots or if they were just an artistic choice.

_This is my daddy. He travels a lot because of work but whenever he is home he spends all his time with me. Daddy teaches me archery and lets me paint his nails. He calls me cute names like Little Squeaker and Etai Yazi. He is my hero._

-Page Two:  
Lian had drawn Jason holding Roy’s hand. One of Jason’s eyes was blue while the other Lian had tried to make look like it was glowing green. Lian always thought it was cool whenever Jason’s eyes glowed green. Roy had to admit that in theory it was neat but given what they represented, the appeal was lost to him. Someday, probably sooner than he would like, he would have to explain it to her. 

_Jay lives with us. Daddy and him are in love. He reads to me and even does silly voices. Sometimes, his eyes glow green. He makes Daddy and I happy. I like him a lot. I hope he stays._

-Page Three:  
Rose was beaming. Lian had drawn the two of them playing kickball at the park together. The long white hair that swirled around the drawing of Rose looked a lot like a cross between a snow storm and a spiderweb. Lian had also chosen to draw a dog on the page for some reason. 

_Rose is my best friend. She babysits me when Daddy has to work. We play a lot of games and build pillow forts. She always seems to know what is going to happen next. I want her to teach me how she does this, but she always laughs when I ask._

-Page Four:  
His daughter had managed to fit every single member of the Titans in civilian clothing on to one page. She did draw Miss Martian as green though, so Roy imagined he would have to explain that away to Miss Holt during a parent teacher conference. 

_These are Daddy’s friends. He says they helped raise him. I love spending time with them because they are really funny and treat us all like family. They are always there for us. Especially Aunt Donna, Aunt Kori, and Uncle Dick._

-Pages Five and Six:  
Jason lost it. Lian had somehow perfectly captured his entire family. Bruce had a frown on his face, Dick was upside down holding Mar’i as Kori clapped, Tim and Damian looked as if they were arguing, the Batgirls were eating popcorn, and something was on fire. There were so many other details in the drawing that the three of them could have spent twenty minutes going through everything. 

_Jay has a big family. One of his brothers is Uncle Dick who is married to Aunt Kori. They have a daughter named Mar’i who I go on a lot of adventures with. Aunt Cass teaches us ballet as Aunt Harper and Aunt Steph cheer us on. Grandpa Bruce rarely smiles but he always does when he sees Mar’i and I. It is nice to see. Uncle Tim and Aunt Barbara are really good with computers. Sometimes, they hack Grandpa Bruce’s computer. When we visit Jay’s family I get to spend time with all of Uncle Damian’s pets. My favorite is Goliath. I also love to have tea with Alfred and paint Aunt Helena’s nails. Sometimes Uncle Duke, Uncle Jean-Paul, Uncle Luke, Great Kate, and everyone’s friends are there too. I am never bored when I am there._

-Page Seven:  
This one was all about Roy’s family. Lian had drawn a border of arrows and hearts around the page. She had drawn Dinah holding Ollie and Sin’s hands. Next to them was Emiko standing back to back with Mia. Connor was sitting on the floor with one eye open. Roy appreciated that particular detail.

_Daddy’s family is a lot of fun. Grandpa Ollie is really funny. He and Dinah love each other a lot. Dinah has a daughter named Sin. I also go on adventures with Sin. Sometimes I get to hang out with both her and Mar’i. Uncle Connor is very sweet and patient. He is also a monk. Aunt Emi is really tough but do not let that fool you because she is also really sweet. Aunt Mia is living her best life. She always seems to make everything work out. They are all really great people._

-Page Eight:  
It was the second to last page that gave Roy a tight feeling in his chest. Lian had drawn a picture of Jade sitting behind a window glass, talking to them on the phone in prison. Jason and Rose both wrapped their arms around him as he began to read the page.

_This is Mommy. I do not get to see her a lot because she is in jail. It will be a while before she is out. Daddy told me that it is because she did really bad things. We visit whenever we can. Rose, Jay, and Daddy all help me write letters to her so that she knows I love her._

-Page Nine:  
There were a bunch of arrows, hearts and polka dots drawn on the page. Some of them had names of the people who were featured in the book written on them. It was a simple design and easily the perfect way to end a book with so many people in it.

_I love my family and they love me. My family has taught me that everyone is worthy of love regardless of their skin color, who they love, and the mistakes they have made. Sometimes people like Mommy who have done bad things need some extra love to help them get better. After all, family is about love, fun, and not giving up on each other. That is why my family is so special. They are my heart. I would not change anything but maybe we could get a dog._

Roy brushed away a tear and lowered himself down to Lian’s level. “Thank you for making this.” They gave each other a long tight hug. “Etai yazi, I love you more than you will ever know.”

Lian kissed his cheek. “I love you too Daddy.”


	4. Shadows of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> -Summary: Roy has work to do at Titans Tower but is distracted by the memory of that time he managed to sneak Jade in but at a cost.
> 
> -Quote Preview:  
> "A large gulp of coffee and an eye rub later, Roy was unwillingly remembering how he had snuck Jade into the tower. They had arranged to meet late in the night when his teammates were either out on patrol or sound asleep. He could remember how the shadows embraced her as she moved through the night to pin him against the exterior wall. His memory was a little fuzzy about how long it took for them to move inside. 
> 
> What he did remember was how easy it was to let her in. At the time, there were no interior cameras in the halls and letting guests in was much simpler. He could still feel the rush it gave him as they sauntered through the halls, peaking around corners to see if anyone was out and about. The tricky part had been keeping their passions quiet. 
> 
> It had all gone according to plan"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day Four (October 28th) - Regret or Bad Memory

Roy had to spend the night at the tower to finish up some research related to the Bialya mission. He had video called Jaybird to say good night to him and Lian. He watched as Jason tucked her and her stuffed animals in. The two of them blew kisses and sent their love to Roy. He returned it all to them. It had been the boost he needed to power through the next couple of hours. 

He still had a lot more to do but his energy was fading quickly. The halls were largely silent as he made his way to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. Even though it was the middle of the week, it always weirded him out when the place was quiet. Probably because his most vivid memories here were all from times the tower was roaring. Except for that one time…Roy shook his head. _“Not going there.”_

Someone, probably Dick, had already brewed a pot of coffee and left it sitting there for everyone to help themselves. Roy poured himself a cup and sat down at the table. A heaviness settled over him as that one particular memory tried to burrow its way into the forefront of his mind. _“Why now?”_ He had not thought about that night in quite some time. Truthfully, he had hoped that it would remain that way.

A large gulp of coffee and an eye rub later, Roy was unwillingly remembering how he had snuck Jade into the tower. They had arranged to meet late in the night when his teammates were either out on patrol or sound asleep. He could remember how the shadows embraced her as she moved through the night to pin him against the exterior wall. His memory was a little fuzzy about how long it took for them to move inside. 

What he did remember was how easy it was to let her in. At the time, there were no interior cameras in the halls and letting guests in was much simpler. He could still feel the rush it gave him as they sauntered through the halls, peaking around corners to see if anyone was out and about. The tricky part had been keeping their passions quiet. 

It had all gone according to plan. That is, until it came to her leaving. They had almost made it to the exit when Donna unexpectedly turned a corner. He had been horrified, certain that he was done for. Jade gave a big, sly smile as Donna prepared to charge. Roy, without thinking, quietly pleaded with the two of them with the ever-simple phrase, “Don’t.” The look of utter fury that crossed Donna’s face as she glared at him should have been a warning but within seconds, Roy had been deservingly knocked flat on his ass. A second later, Donna was brawling with Jade. 

Roy, being the brilliant dumbass, he is, dared to move between the two. He received a punch square to the chest. The next bit was unclear but somehow, he had convinced Donna to let Jade leave. The truly miraculous part was she had agreed to not tell anyone. But there had been a catch. Donna wanted him to quit the team. It killed him at the time, but he understood. He packed up and was gone by morning. The rest of the team had inundated him with questions for weeks, and in some cases months, about his departure. He ignored them all. 

Did he regret his actions? Not particularly. Leaving the Titans had led him to do quite a bit of soul searching and eventually to Jason. Things really changed when Lian came around. With all the good that had managed to come out of his recklessness, the one thing he wished he could take back was convincing and allowing Donna to carry this heinous secret for all these years. 

Roy finished the rest of his coffee. He knew what he had to do. Admittedly, he was baffled this subject had never come up when they were together. Then again, he supposed that it could have been an underlying factor when they broke up. He found Donna wailing on a punching bag in the exercise room.

“I take it you haven’t had any break throughs either?” Donna asked, steadying the bag.

He shook his head. “Nothing. I was hoping coffee would help but…” Roy was suddenly at a loss for words. _“Nerves, probably.”_

Donna raised an eyebrow. “You started dwelling on the past, again didn’t you?” She picked her water bottle up off the floor and leaned against the wall. 

Roy sighed. She knew him too well sometimes. “Yeah.”

“I’m all ears,” she said. She took a swig from the water bottle. 

“Remember that one night with Jade?” he asked, his voice lowering out of shame.

Without hesitation Donna asked, “How could I forget?”

He took a couple steps closer to his friend. “I shouldn’t have talked you into doing what you did. I realize it is well past overdue but, I apologize.”

“We’re going down this road I take it,” she said, walking towards him. “It’s _long_ overdue but nonetheless, I appreciate it.”

“Why did you agree to it?” he asked.

Donna breathed in deeply. “Oh Roy. I loved you. I still do but in a different way now. I couldn’t stand the thought of you being ostracized by your friends, so I foolishly covered your ass.” She held his gaze. “But I couldn’t risk our safety or watch you continue to self-sabotage. That’s why I told you to leave. I was a bit surprised you agreed.” She placed a hand on his shoulder. “I have a confession.”

Roy straightened up. “This can’t be good.”

She gave a halfhearted chuckle. “When Dick and I were reforming the Titans…he wanted you by our side but…” Donna was considering her words carefully. “I had to let him know so he could fully and accurately assess you.”

“That’s why no one initially told me.” It made perfect sense. He could not fault Dick for making that call. He would have likely done the same. Nor could he be upset with Donna. He had put her in an unfair spot. It was the least he deserved. The anger rippling through him was directed at himself. 

Donna nodded. “For what it’s worth, you’ve managed to impress us all. We can all see you’ve changed. I’m sor…”

Roy put his hands up. “Don’t.” She looked at him quizzically. “You did the right thing.” He pulled her into a hug. She returned the gesture.

She squeezed a little harder before pulling away. Her face becoming stone cold. “You ever try to convince me to do something like that again though and I will have your head.”

“That would be appropriate,” he said, “I promise it will not come to that again.”

Donna wrapped an arm around him. “Excellent. Now why don’t we go try and crack this case together? Ideally before dawn.”

“I’ll be happy if we can crack it before noon,” Roy countered as the two of them left the room.


	5. A Hero of Her Own

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "She put her hands up to his ear and attempted to whisper, “Rose is helping me with my Halloween costume!”
> 
> The sluggishness of waking up was beginning to wear off but his eyelids were still heavy. “Is that so? Is it a secret?” Lian nodded rapidly. “Why is that?” 
> 
> “Becauseee…” she looked to the door before adding, “I want to surprise everyone.” She flung herself backwards onto the bed with a thump. Her small body bounced a bit off the mattress before she settled into a comfortable position, spreading her arms and legs as far out as she possibly could. "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day five (October 29th): Alias

“Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” Lian’s voice boomed through the apartment. Roy yawned, feeling as if he needed to sleep for at least a month after digging through those files all night long. He’d gotten home at eleven in the morning and gone straight to bed. His daughter came running into his room and dove on top of him. “Daddy!!” She planted a kiss on his cheek.

Roy tried to sit up but Lian kept jumping on him out of excitement. “I’m up, I’m up!” he said, finally managing to prop himself up on his elbows. Lian’s big round eyes twinkled as she tackled him right back down. He lifted her up and shook her gently. She squealed with glee until he sat her down next to him. “How’s my girl?”

Lian was so cheery. “Gooood.” She moved closer to him. “Guess what?” She snuggled into him, looking up at her with big round eyes, so alive with a spirit he hoped she never lost. 

“What?” Roy asked. 

She put her hands up to his ear and attempted to whisper, “Rose is helping me with my Halloween costume!”

The sluggishness of waking up was beginning to wear off but his eyelids were still heavy. “Is that so? Is it a secret?” Lian nodded rapidly. “Why is that?” 

“Becauseee…” she looked to the door before adding, “I want to surprise everyone.” She flung herself backwards onto the bed with a thump. Her small body bounced a bit off the mattress before she settled into a comfortable position, spreading her arms and legs as far out as she possibly could. 

“So then why are you telling?” Roy asked. One of the neighbors, probably the sixteen-year-old, next door turned the radio on to some pop music. The vibrations from it were shaking the wall. _“If you're really being honest, if you really w- Oh God please no!”_ Roy thought frantically. But it was too late. The song was already stuck in his head. 

“Only you can distract everyone else long enough to keep them out of our hair,” Lian answered. “I’m far too cute and will be too busy to do it myself.” She was fascinated by the chipping purple nail polish she had just put on a couple days ago. Little flakes of it fell on to the sheets as she picked away at it. 

Roy chuckled, a large smile plastered on his face. “You’re too cute angel.” He ruffled her hair before swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. “What are you going to be?”

Lian considered whether or not she should risk spoiling it. “A superhero,” she said simply. Roy could tell from her tone of voice that was all he would be able to discover.

“That’s exciting! I hope you have an alias picked out,” he said, his back cracking as he stood. 

She jumped off the bed. “I do!” She managed to get into the hallway before her. “It’s a good one. You’ll love it!” 

He followed her into the living room, humming that wretched song the entire time. The whole time swearing he was going to figure out how to soundproof the apartment. “Hey Rose,” Roy said when he reached the kitchen. 

Rose was busy fixing an after-school snack for all of them. “Afternoon,” she said as the knife sliced through the apple. “How was The Titans?” More cutting. 

Roy sat down next to Lian to help her with her homework. “I didn’t leave smelling like low tide or with sand in my hair again so that means everything went exceptionally well.”

She chuckled. “I remember when I was on the Teen Titans...there was always some sort of odor or something sticky clinging to me. Mind you, the weirdest powers we had on the team were Eddie’s.”

“Gee, you were always sticky after spending time with Eddie. The implications there are fascinating,” Roy remarked. 

Rose scoffed. “Two words Roy, two words,” she said, mostly joking as she began to arrange the slices into a bowl with some peanut butter in it. She put the snack down on the table. “Alright Lian, before you start your homework, let’s make a plan, okay?”

“Okay!” Lian exclaimed, reaching for her snack. 

“When you and Daddy are done, come get me. I’ll be in the living room working on a project and possibly helping Jay with his if he is home by then. If I’m not quite finished yet, you are free to do whatever Daddy lets you. In that case I will let you know when I’m done, and we’ll work on your costume. Sound good?”

Lian was chewing but went a head and said, “Yup!”

“Excellent, I’ll leave you to it,” Rose said. 

“Alright, let’s take a look,” Roy said looking at the papers his daughter had crammed into the brightly colored folder with penguins on it. 

***  
It was nearly half past seven when Roy decided he was going to lay down for the night. Jason kissed him good night and said he’d follow suit at some point. Roy knew it would be a while because he was working on his college application and the essay portion was stressing him out beyond belief. He’d been working endlessly on it for well over a week. Rose was also trying to go back to school so the two of them were helping each other out. She had called it quits nearly an hour ago to spend time with Lian.

The two ladies were having a grand old time in Lian’s room. It sounded like quite the party. The door was cracked open just a smidge. On the floor he could see a lot of red clothing and a sewing kit. Rose’s back was to the door as she was trying to thread a needle. 

“Can I try?” Lian asked. 

“Not tonight honey,” Rose answered.

“But Rooose,” his daughter whined.

Rose was successful with her task. “Maybe next time. I’ll tell you what, you can trace the pattern. You have to do it slowly though.” Lian gave no verbal response but he heard her shuffle around. “Good, nice and gentle, a little slower kiddo. Perfect! You’re doing great.”

“Hey Rose,” Lian said. The sound of what Roy assumed was marker on cloth stopped.

“Hmm?” Rose responded. He heard scissors ripping through cloth. 

“Do you think Daddy will like my Speedy costume?” she asked.

The cutting stopped. “He is going to love it.”

 _“I already do.”_ A warmth spread throughout his body. He was going to have to act surprised when she made the grand reveal, but it would be worth it. _“That gives me an idea…”_ He whipped out his phone and sent a message to Ollie. He knew his old man would appreciate Roy suggesting he run around assuming the name Green Arrow to take Lian trick-or-treating. It would probably go to his head a little bit, but it was a price Roy was willing to pay.


	6. We're Falling In Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy and Jason have a sweet moment in their apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day Six (Oct. 30) - Music/Band  
> Song lyrics are from "Kiss Me" By Ed Sheeran

It was unusual for Jason and Roy to be the only two in the apartment. They were both in the living room sitting, not talking and focused on what they were doing; Jason was working on his college essay as Roy tinkered with his bow and arrows. Both of them were slowly losing focus. Whatever was left of their attention spans officially went out the window when the music playing from Jason’s laptop switched from classic rock to Mozart. 

Jason promptly skipped it. “Sorry Mozart but I have something better in mind today.” He clicked through a couple of songs before taking Roy by surprise and settling on something slow. Jason stood up, placing his laptop on the coffee table. “May I have this dance?” he asked, reaching a hand towards Roy. 

_Settle down with me_  
_Cover me up_  
_Cuddle me in…_

“What has gotten into you?” Roy asked standing and taking his hand. 

_Lie down with me  
And hold me in your arms…_

His Jaybird pulled him in, wrapping his arms around his waist. “Nothing.” His blue eyes were burning with a gentle intensity that Roy rarely witnessed.

_And your heart's against my chest, your lips pressed in my neck  
I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet _

Roy’s heart was beating quickly. Moments like these were when Roy could see just how vulnerable his partner really was. He brushed his fingers against Jason’s cheek. “Uh huh sure.”

_And with a feeling I'll forget, I'm in love now_

“What are you thinking it is then?” Jason asked, leaning into Roy’s hand. He closed his eyes for a moment. 

_Kiss me like you wanna be loved_

The gesture was something Roy wished he could take a picture. “That you’re letting yourself express your feelings for once.”

 _You wanna be loved_  
_You wanna be loved_  


Jason met Roy’s gaze as he pulled him closer. They shared a brief kiss before Jay gave him a twirl. “Perhaps.” His lips were threatening a smirk, betraying his ambiguity. 

Roy rolled his eyes. “You’re such a softie,” he said quietly before kissing him again.

“But I’m your softie,” Jason teased. He batted his lashes a bit to drive the point home. The two of them snickered. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

_This feels like falling in love_

Roy blushed. “Neither would I, Jaybird.” 

_Falling in love._

Jason inhaled sharply. “Roy…There is something I need to tell you.” He briefly made eye contact with a stain that had been on the carpet long before Roy had moved in. When he looked back to Roy his eyes were calm for the first time since they’d known each other. “Thank you for loving me.”

“You’re worth it,” Roy said softly as Jason took his face in his hands. 

His partner studied his face. “I mean it.”

Roy moved closer. “I know. I do too.” They shared one last kiss as they danced to the rest of the song.

_We’re falling in love._


	7. Dynamic Duo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: A quick scene in which Roy and Lian show off their Halloween costumes to each other
> 
> Quote Preview:  
> “Close your eyes boys!” Rose interrupted, appearing from the hallway dressed as a glorious pirate queen. They followed her instructions and Roy heard Lian running down the hall, her giggles growing louder. “Strike a pose. That’s a great one! Alright gentlemen open up!”
> 
> Lian was dressed in a red tunic, yellow boots and a matching Robin Hood style hat. She had equipped herself with a nerf bow and a small quiver. She was standing with her hands on her hips and her chin held high. “I’m Speedy!” she declared proudly as everyone applauded her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day Seven (Oct 31): Alternate Costume  
> Since Day 6 & 7 turned out to be short, I decided to post them on the same day so I could focus on finishing up the final prompt.

Roy put the green hood up and turned to face Jason. “Alright, I feel ridiculous.” He fiddled with a buckle on the costume, contemplating changing into something a bit more familiar. It was a smidge too big. Not to mention it felt weird wearing one of Ollie’s old looks. “Do I look as bad as I feel?”

“Worse,” Jason said with a deadpan face expression. It didn’t take long for him to laugh. “I’m sorry, that was awful.” He composed himself and stood up from the bed. “You look fine Harper!” 

“This is why Dick is my favorite,” Roy teased.

Jason raised his eyebrows. “Hm. I thought your favorite was Damian.” Roy rolled his eyes in response to that remark. Jason pulled off his shirt as he went over to the dresser. After some sifting through a drawer, he slid into a t-shirt that read, “I’m Batman,” across the chest. “Remind me to put this in that family group chat of mine,” he said as he tugged at the hem.

“You’re just trying to give B an aneurysm at this point aren’t you?” Roy asked.

“No. A slight heart attack would suffice though,” Jason joked as the two of them went to the living room to wait with the others for Lian and Rose.

They had invited Rose, her brother Joey Wilson and her boyfriend Eddie Bloomberg, to join them as they took Lian out trick-or-treating. Lian had been so surprised when she saw them standing in the living room. She had only met the two men a handful of times before due to everyone’s schedules never seeming to coincide, but she adored them. Joey taught her sign language and inspired her to be a better artist while Eddie enabled her goofiness, what five-year-old wouldn’t love that?

Eddie was sitting in the armchair, his legs swung over one of the arms, scrolling on his phone. “Have you two seen everyone’s Halloween costumes? Some of them are truly incredible.” He showed them the screen. It was a picture of Dick and Kori with their daughter Mar’i. They had gone with a _Little Mermaid_ theme. Dick was Prince Eric, Kori was Ariel and the little one was their daughter from the sequel. They really had gone to town on the details, especially Kori. She had accessorized from head to toe and even put a fork in her hair.

“Some of them. Helena as The Queen of Hearts has got to be one of my favorites so far,” Jason said. He walked over to Joey who was looking at the collection of books Jason had meticulously arranged in the bookcase. Jason said something to him that Roy could not make out and handed him a book of Shakespearian poems. 

Joey smiled. “Thank you,” he signed before beginning to leaf through the pages of the book. 

Roy sat down on the couch. “I’ve been too busy getting into this thing.” He gestured to the costume before going through the pictures Lian had drawn before dinner with Joey. There was one of Eddie, Joey and Lian picking flowers that was easily Roy’s favorite. 

“I’ve been there, you would not believe how long this took to do,” Eddie said referring to his demonic appearance. They couldn’t help but laugh. “Seriously dude, you look great!”

Roy fidgeted with some of the fabric. “Oh good, one person sincerely thinks so.”

It was Jason’s turn to roll his eyes. “And this is why Eddie is my favorite.” 

“Awww Jason, I could swoon!” Eddie practically cooed. 

“Close your eyes boys!” Rose interrupted, appearing from the hallway dressed as a glorious pirate queen. They followed her instructions and Roy heard Lian running down the hall, her giggles growing louder. “Strike a pose. That’s a great one! Alright gentlemen open up!”

Lian was dressed in a red tunic, yellow boots and a matching Robin Hood style hat. She had equipped herself with a nerf bow and a small quiver. She was standing with her hands on her hips and her chin held high. “I’m Speedy!” she declared proudly as everyone applauded her. 

Roy went over to his daughter and picked her up. “And the best one ever!” He picked her up and twirled her around. 

“Daddy, Daddy!” Lian said between giggles. He held her in his arms. She tugged at the green hood. “We’re a dynamic duo!” Her excitement was contagious. Everyone in the room was beaming.

“We always have been,” Roy told her, kissing her forehead as a bubbliness brewed inside her. 

“Always will be?” Lian asked, her eyes bright with nothing but love and hope.

“Always will be,” Roy assured her. 

“Pinky promise?” Lian asked.

“Pinky promise,” Roy said crossing her pinky with his. 

***

By the time they got home from trick-or-treating, checked the candy and some of it, watched the _Nightmare Before Christmas_ , said their farewells, and convinced Lian to go to bed, it was nearly eleven at night. The kid was all wired up on sugar plus it was her favorite holiday, so it had been quite the feat to get her into bed.

As Roy lay in bed, he heard people in the parking lot shouting and screaming excitedly. They were likely party goers that were either coming home for the night or just heading out. He was drifting off to sleep when Jason called it quits on his college essay and finally decided to crawl into bed. “Good night Jaybird,” Roy muttered.

Jason snuggled up to him, being the big spoon for once. “G’night,” he whispered, his breath was warm against his neck. “And since it is after midnight, happy birthday Roy.” He kissed his cheek and pulled him closer. 

“Thank you,” Roy mumbled as he drifted off to sleep.


	8. Happy Birthday Roy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: There is a birthday party for Roy where he begins to think about his future
> 
> Quote Preview:
> 
> “Do you ever wonder where you’ll be in ten years?” Donna asked, eyeing the glass of red wine she held. Roy realized that she was probably a couple sips away from becoming philosophical and had clearly hit the touchy-feely stage. “I think I would like to do more with the Amazons.”
> 
> Kori giggled, as she scooped gorgonzola bacon dip onto a chip. “A most delightful question Donna.” She shoved the whole snack into her mouth and thought as she chewed. “I see myself still with Dick and raising Mar’i. Ideally, I’ll be working with children in some capacity. Oh goodness, Mar’i will be in high school.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 8 (Nov. 1st): Roy's Birthday

The day had been filled with a lot of cute clichés such as breakfast in bed and handmade cards. It was a fairly ordinary birthday. Just the way Roy liked it. Ollie had invited them over for dinner as per usual. He hadn’t expected anything special so when they were greeted by family and friends alike, he nearly fell over. If anyone besides Mar’i had yelled “surprise”, he probably would have. 

Lian went running towards Sin and Mar’i. The three girls did their secret handshake and erupted into joyous cackling. They would probably sneak off at some point for an epic game of hide and seek that would likely result in the adults having to find Mar’i in some high up place. Until that happened, the three of them would tell jokes to each other and sweep everyone off their feet with their cuteness. 

“Happy birthday Roy!” Ollie said, appearing at his side. 

“Thanks Ollie,” he said as he was ambushed with a hug from Mia.

“There’s my favorite ginger!” Mia said, going in for a proper hug.

Roy pulled her in. “And there’s my favorite blonde-haired sister.”

The current Speedy stepped back and surveyed him from head to toe. “Well, there are no visible grey hairs or wrinkles, so I guess you’re not that old…yet.”

“I wasn’t aware I was even considered old,” Roy said. 

Jason laced his fingers through Roy’s. “Well…” he said with one of his signature smirks. Roy gently elbowed him as Mia got pulled away by Sin to play with the little ones. “I’m just saying,” Jason teased as the two of them ventured off to mingle. 

Roy squeezed his partner’s hand. Ever since he had found out about Lian, he had grown to appreciate simple birthdays, so he was confused as to why everyone had decided to show up for this one. It’s not like it was a “milestone birthday” or he had come back from the dead or something. 

Dick walked over, planting himself between Jason and Roy. He swung an arm around each of their necks earning a glare from Jason. “How are you two on this fine evening?” He was awfully chipper. 

“Alive,” Jason said, ducking out of his brother’s embrace. 

“We’re good,” Roy answered spotting his daughter trying to do a headstand against a wall. 

Dick smiled. “Wonderful!” 

“Uncle Jay-son!” Mar’i beckoned from across the room. “Come play ballerina with us!”

“I’ll be there in a bit!” Jason called back. “Why is it always ballerina?” he asked Roy and Dick. 

Dick slapped Jason on the back. “You know you love it.” He gave his younger brother a slight shove and added, “Now, go show off your pirouettes!” Jason glared at him again before making his way over to the three rascals and Mia. 

“I’m not sure why Ollie invited everyone but I appreciate you being here,” Roy said. 

His best friend chuckled. “ _Technically_ Ollie invited everyone but this was all Lian’s idea.” 

Roy was both incredulous and honored. “She really is the best. What prompted her to do this?”

“She said you’ve been a dad for five years and five is an important number. Plus, she loves you, so she wanted to do something special,” Dick explained. 

Donna and Wally popped out from one of the side rooms. “There he is!” the amazon said as she went for a hug. “Happy birthday!” She enveloped him in a back-cracking embrace.

Wally playfully punched him in the forearm. “Or as they say in Spanish, feliz cumpleaños!” 

“Thank you,” Roy said, regaining his balance.

“Garth got called to Atlantis on urgent business, he wanted you to have this,” Donna said, handing Roy a small red giftbag. “And this is from the rest of us original Titans.” She handed him a yellow one. “Best open them after food though.”

Roy was flattered. “You really didn’t have to do this,” he said as he tried to figure out the best way to hold both bags simultaneously.

“Yes, we did,” Donna insisted. 

Wally seconded the sentiment by adding, “We’re practically family so we couldn’t just let it pass us by.”

***

The gathering went on without too many hijinks. Mar’i, Sin, and Lian tired out Jason with ballet. Mia took many a picture of the display claiming it was strictly to document the day despite that clearly not being the case. One picture may or may not have ended up in a collage on Instagram later that night. Emiko briefly left her room to say hello and grab some food. At some point she snuck away again but not before making a couple snarky comments that conveyed her general dislike of people. She had lit up the tiniest bit when Lian danced her way over to say hello. Wally had managed to eat a tray and a half of appetizers by himself before Rose managed to convince him to hand over what was left to the children. Meanwhile, Connor sat with Donna, Roy, Dick, and Kori in the living room. 

“Do you ever wonder where you’ll be in ten years?” Donna asked, eyeing the glass of red wine she held. Roy realized that she was probably a couple sips away from becoming philosophical and had clearly hit the touchy-feely stage. “I think I would like to do more with the Amazons.”

Kori giggled, as she scooped gorgonzola bacon dip onto a chip. “A most delightful question Donna.” She shoved the whole snack into her mouth and thought as she chewed. “I see myself still with Dick and raising Mar’i. Ideally, I’ll be working with children in some capacity. Oh goodness, Mar’i will be in high school.”

Dick reached over and stole some food off Kori’s plate. “That sounds wonderful Kori.” He ate a couple chips before adding, “I’d like to be a detective on the force by then, maybe even a bit higher up. Definitely a member of the league.” He took another chip and dipped it. “I would rather not think about having a teenaged daughter at the moment.” 

Connor cracked his back. “Mar’i is a good kid, she’ll be fine.” He reached for the glass of water he had set on the end table. “Probably.” He winked.

“I’m with Dick on this one,” Roy said raising his own glass of water to his friend. “Mostly because, I don’t want to rush it.”

His friend mirrored his gesture. “It’s already gone by too fast. What about you Connor?”

“I’m still going to be doing the Green Arrow thing. Maybe I’ll be on another team too; who knows? Traveling is definitely on the agenda,” Connor said. “And you Mr. Birthday Boy?”

Roy’s cheeks grew hot as everyone turned their attention to him. When he remained silent Dick gently tried to guide him by asking, “Well, what have you and Jason talked about?” His heart leaped into his throat. “You two have talked at least a little about the future…right?” Roy bit his lip and avoided Dick’s piercing gaze. Truth was, he and Jason had not talked much about where their relationship was heading. Which probably was not for the best considering how long they’d been together. Then again, considering they had just confessed their feelings, there was still a way to go before discussions about pursuing anything beyond their current situation.

Dinah walked into the room and Roy found himself being able to breathe again. “Who wants cake?” With those magic words, everyone but Roy sprang up and filed out of the room. Dick did briefly look back to make sure Roy was alright. “Are you okay?”

Roy nodded. “I’m just thinking,” he said as he stood. He followed Dinah to the dining room where Lian waved him over to the chair at the head of the table. “Hey Squeaker,” he said as his daughter plopped herself onto his lap.

“Can I help you blow out the candles?” she asked. 

“Absolutely,” he said with a smile as Mia came out of the kitchen carrying a cake filled with lit candles. Lian was immediately mesmerized by the flames. 

The obligatory, offkey singing of Happy Birthday started up. Lian was bouncing up and down as she sang into his ear. Halfway through, he saw Emiko make her way into the back of the room. She gave a small smile as she joined in with the song. As the song came to an end, Lian took in a big breath. 

“Make a wish!” Dinah said. She had been recording the entire to do.  
Roy took a deep breath. It was a silly tradition, but he saw no harm in participating in it. _“I wish for…”_ Jason put a hand on his shoulder and he felt that overwhelming affection he had experienced the other day once more. _“A lifetime of happiness with the ones I love.”_. He blew out the candles though he was certain Lian had done most of the work. Lian and Jason both kissed one of his cheeks at the same time. Whatever he was feeling swirled around inside him like it had before though this time, his stomach wasn’t in knots. _“I could get used to this.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to tumblr users redarrow and roywilliamharperjr for putting this event together on their (tumblr) blog royharperdaily!  
> Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this! I hope you enjoyed! :)


End file.
